| Страници во темата: [1 2] > | Poll: Have you ever abandoned a project after you accepted it? Лице кое објавува дискусија: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever abandoned a project after you accepted it?".
This poll was originally submitted by tilakahuja. View the poll results »
| | | | neilmac
Шпанија
Local time: 04:24
шпански на англиски
+ ...
At least, not that I recall. I have a vague feeling that I must have had to abandon a "project" at some point, but I can't for the life of me think when. So if it did ever happen, it can't have been serious...
I'm not sure if this counts: one time, a client asked me to do an "urgent" translation over the weekend so I agreed and refused a couple of offers from other clients... and in the end I sat and waited for it and it didn't appear and the client didn't even email me to say it ha... See more At least, not that I recall. I have a vague feeling that I must have had to abandon a "project" at some point, but I can't for the life of me think when. So if it did ever happen, it can't have been serious...
I'm not sure if this counts: one time, a client asked me to do an "urgent" translation over the weekend so I agreed and refused a couple of offers from other clients... and in the end I sat and waited for it and it didn't appear and the client didn't even email me to say it had been cancelled/postponed. When they blithely turned up about a month later with the same job, I told them where to stick their custom (explaining why) and haven't worked for them since. As far as I'm concerned, it's their loss.
[Edited at 2014-03-26 08:18 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | | Tunde Sele 
Романија
Local time: 05:24
англиски на унгарски
+ ...
I probably wouldn't even dare, as it ruins reputation. Before accepting a project, a professional translator verifies the text, its difficulty and length. Once I accept a job, I am dedicated to it, no matter what. If something personal comes in, than I don't sleep at nights but I will still finish job!
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Elina Sellgren
Финска
Local time: 05:24
Член (2013)
англиски на фински
+ ...
| Once or twice | Mar 26, 2014 |
When I have realized that the client is actually a potential scammer or non-payer.
Does it count if a client sends you a file, stating a deadline that is well past by the time you wake up and read the email, and doesn't even ask whether you can do it but assumes so? That has happened a couple of times... (without prior agreement that I would automatically accept projects while I'm sleeping).
| | | | Tim Drayton (X)
Кипар
Local time: 05:24
турски на англиски
+ ...
| Absolutely not | Mar 26, 2014 |
I would never take on a project that I did not think I was capable of finishing.
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Til death us do part, I'm afraid. 
Unless the customer has i) deliberately misled me about job requirements, ii) held back vital or other pertinent information about the project before the actual order or iii) continuously tacks on this 'n that after issuing a PO which forces me to go back to square one and renegotiate (but bill for work done).
There are, of course, extraordinary circumstances such as sud... See more Til death us do part, I'm afraid.
Unless the customer has i) deliberately misled me about job requirements, ii) held back vital or other pertinent information about the project before the actual order or iii) continuously tacks on this 'n that after issuing a PO which forces me to go back to square one and renegotiate (but bill for work done).
There are, of course, extraordinary circumstances such as sudden illness, accidents and other Acts of God beyond anyone's control. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mary Worby
Обединето Кралство
Local time: 03:24
Член
германски на англиски
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| A couple of times | Mar 26, 2014 |
I've had to abandon projects a couple of times as a result of ill health. I've also 'handed back' sections of projects which are far too technical and which I hadn't picked up on my initial appraisal of the document.
I have found that, far from it being damaging to my reputation, customers respect honesty and would rather have a job given back to them than one completed with less than optimum results.
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... because of really personal circumstances: once the dead of my father-in-law, where I had to arrange a lot of things, and once because I was unexpected 3 days with my daughter in the hospital - without computer, internet, empty phone... But if you have a good and even personal relationship with your agencies, if you always deliver perfect and on-time work, they know you do this only in circumstances beyond one’s control and accept it.
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Although I was tempted on a couple of occasions! I agree that if at all possible, it would be bad practice not to finish a project once it has been accepted, but extraordinary circumstances can occur, both at the client's side and at the translator's side. Most of us will have been called in at some point to help a client fix an unforeseen situation, so a good client will appreciate the reverse can happen too.
neilmac wrote:
I'm not sure if this counts: one time, a client asked me to do an "urgent" translation over the weekend so I agreed and refused a couple of offers from other clients... and in the end I sat and waited for it and it didn't appear and the client didn't even email me to say it had been cancelled/postponed. When they blithely turned up about a month later with the same job, I told them where to stick their custom (explaining why) and haven't worked for them since. As far as I'm concerned, it's their loss.
[Edited at 2014-03-26 08:18 GMT]
I know just what you mean! I wonder if it was the same company...
| | | | Charlotte Farrell
Обединето Кралство
Local time: 03:24
Член (2013)
германски на англиски
+ ...
| Once or twice | Mar 26, 2014 |
I have had to do this once or twice - once I had to only submit half a job and ask the client to place the rest elsewhere as I became too ill to work in the middle of a job. I've also had to say I couldn't do a job after all once or twice after agreeing to it, but only in the case of proofreading jobs that were meant to come in at a certain time and were delayed to a point that I physically couldn't fit them in.
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Because I incurred water damage in my office and my hardware and Internet connection don't like water !!!
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Elizabeth Tamblin (X)
Обединето Кралство
Local time: 03:24
француски на англиски
When my son was seriously ill last year, I had to be at his hospital bedside, so I had to abandon a piece of work I was doing. There was no other option.
| | | | Alexandranow
Романија
Local time: 05:24
романски на англиски
+ ...
| once or twice | Mar 26, 2014 |
It happened with a long term client, professor and dean at a local university, for whom I used to translate very difficult texts, books. He used to pay a low rate, but I valued the volume. But after a while he started to count the pages in an more unfair manner, and while working at the most difficult book I realized I am not going to get almost nothing for that work. So tried to have a discussion first nicely with that client, explaining why he should consider to pay a different rate for that b... See more It happened with a long term client, professor and dean at a local university, for whom I used to translate very difficult texts, books. He used to pay a low rate, but I valued the volume. But after a while he started to count the pages in an more unfair manner, and while working at the most difficult book I realized I am not going to get almost nothing for that work. So tried to have a discussion first nicely with that client, explaining why he should consider to pay a different rate for that book. But he said for him was the same work (even if in reality he paid less than when I started to work for him, about 3 years before the event), and that if I do not want to continue, I may stop. So, maybe it was his choice. Just to mention that in the manner he counted the pages, 2 and a half, or 3 pages he counted as one....Not to mention again the lowest rate. In that manner working seven days a week 10, 11 hours a day, I less that the wage of a maid. Thank you very much ▲ Collapse
| | | | Thayenga
Германија
Local time: 04:24
Член (2009)
англиски на германски
+ ...
Fortunately, I was never in a situation that forced me to abandon a project. Even when my hard drive crashed, I just continued on my laptop via USB.
If the question had been, have you ever felt like abandoning a project? the answer would have been, once or twice.
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